Why do boards of education fear charter schools?

Sunday

Apr 8, 2012 at 12:20 AM

BERT WALKER

WHY DO BOARDS OF EDUCATION FEAR CHARTER SCHOOLS?

"The public school system is already so beleaguered by bureaucracy; so cowed by the demands of due process; so overwhelmed with faddish curricula that its educational purpose is almost an afterthought." - CA Justice Janice Rogers Brown

Justice Brown could not be more on point. I recently attended an enlightening tour of the Riverview Charter School with a small group of people for school choice. The group was very surprised to learn how the staff manages to run a school so conducive to learning, while at the same time overcoming obvious road blocks put up by the board of education. The faculty's enthusiasm for the students and the unique learning environment at the school was very apparent. The fear of charter schools by our school board is also very apparent. Charter schools embarrass local public schools because they often do a better job educating children, for less money.

Charter schools are also free from much of the regulations and controls that regular public schools have to put up with. Charter schools therefore threaten the public-school monopoly because they introduce a little competition into the system. The tour provided everyone with a refreshing look at a public charter school of high caliber succeeding in a county struggling with low academic achievement. When the public demands more charter schools, authorities will lose much of their monopoly power over our children's education and educational outcomes will improve. For better schools, think school choice and charter schools.

Bluffton

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